The conversation doesn’t quite match the tone of Tommy’s voice. It’s probably just me being half-asleep still, so I continue into the kitchen.
“Yeah, but there were foo—” Tommy’s eyes flick to me and he stops talking. “Uh, yeah. Probably just a deer.”
“Morning, Angel,” Grizz says, giving Tommy his back and coming over to kiss me. He smells fresh, like he took another shower, his hair still slightly damp.
“You’ve been up a while?” I question.
“Always am.”
He’s warned me that he’s an early bird many times, and I don’t doubt it for a second. I haven’t woken up before him once, not unless it’s the middle of the night because Dorothea is crying.
I walk over to the cabinet to grab a mug for coffee but stop in front of the sink when outside catches my attention. “It snowed!”
I whirl around to face Grizz, who is grinning.
“I knew you’d be excited.”
“I am,” I say as I stare at the winter wonderland. Everything is covered in snow. The trees, the garden, the bench they put up. There has to be at least three inches out there.
“I was just about to go outside and shovel,” Tommy says, taking the last sip of his coffee and putting the mug into the sink. I bring mine to the table, and Grizz sets down a plate in front of me.
“I’ll help you,” Grizz says.
“No, it’s fine. Sit with your girl.” Tommy winks before heading into the foyer. A few moments later, the door opens and soon after the scrape of the shovel against cement can be heard loud and clear.
“Did you sleep okay?” Grizz asks.
“As good as can be.”
“Make sure you nap today.”
“I always do,” I answer with a smile.
He leans back in the chair, watching me as I eat. We chat about this and that, and he tells me he’s going to head to the club soon, once the driveway is shoveled and the roads are clear enough.
“It’s a good thing you put your bike away a few days ago,” I say as I go to the sink.
“I knew it was bound to snow soon. It usually does by now.”
As I wash my plate, I spot Tommy out by the woods, looking around like he’s lost something.
“What is he doing?” I ask.
Grizz gets up, stopping behind me to look out the window.
“No idea. But I’m going to find out,” he says seriously.
I watch Tommy as I wash my dish. Grizz leaves the room, and I spot him putting on his boots and thick thermal jacket. He kisses me quickly before heading out the door. Dorothea is fussing, so I head into the room to pick her up. She needs to be changed, so I change her quickly, then go to the kitchen to see what the guys are doing through the window.
They’re both by the woods now, not far from the garden but deeper into the yard. Tommy is talking, pointing from the woods, along the ground and toward the house. Grizz’s face has a stern look on it, and he’s staring at where Tommy is pointing. His head jerks up, frowning at Tommy. Then his eyes widen, and he looks back toward the house, then back at the woods. He starts talking now, but I can’t hear anything he’s saying, not with the windows closed, and it’s too cold to open them. I bounce Dorothea as I watch them share a few more words before turning back toward the house.
They both look mad when they walk inside, but Grizz school’s his face when he sees me standing in the kitchen, staring at them both.
“Everything okay?” I ask carefully as Tommy heads up the steps.
Grizz takes off his boots, leaving them by the door, and hangs up his coat.
“Of course.”
